4 Easy Changes for an Eco Lifestyle

Since making the switch to slow fashion over a year ago, I’ve become so much more aware of not only the clothing I buy and what’s in my closet, but also of how my overall lifestyle affects the people and world around me. I’ve starting thinking more about clean, non-toxic beauty. I’ve learned about minimalism and started to apply some of its principles (beyond just decluttering!) into my life. More recently, I’ve started to think about the food I eat, and the concept of zero-waste living. All of these things come together to form what I would call a “conscious lifestyle”, and that of course includes adopting a more “eco lifestyle”. A lifestyle that takes a minute to think about how our personal actions can affect other people, animals, the earth and environment, and even our own health, mental or physical.

This can all seem overwhelming, and I won’t lie, sometimes it is, but I have managed to adopt a few habits and lifestyle changes that 1) require minimal effort, and 2) are pretty impactful, even if I can’t directly see the impact (in some cases, though, I can!). They’re just a start, and I still have a long way to go, but I wanted to share them with you today so that hopefully you could consider making some of these switches yourself. And if you have any questions while reading, do feel free to ask them in the comments below!

And so, without further ado…

1. Transition to slow, ethical and sustainable fashion.

This is really more like a million lifestyle changes lumped into one category, but it would generally include:

2. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bags) for groceries and more.

This is one of the easiest, quickest switches I made. Instead of going to the grocery store and then guessing how many plastic bags I needed to buy to fit all my groceries into them, I brought a bunch of large totes that I already had lying around anyways to pack it all into. I’m still amazed at how many people use plastic bags when the totes/reusable bags are actually so much more convenient! You don’t have to worry about them ripping under heavy weight, you have fewer bags to carry, and you bring less plastic into your home. Sounds like a win-win-win to me!

3. Say No to Plastic

This goes hand in hand with the point above – I’ve been trying to reduce the amount of plastic I either bring into my home or use in general, and so I always ask myself if there is an alternative to something plastic I’m buying. Case in point: two super-cute makeup organizers that I fell in love with at first sight and have been using ever since, instead of buying plastic organizers which I had originally browsed at a storage/organization store. They’re prettier, not plastic, and can easily be re-used as storage for something else in the future.

4. Eat Less Meat

I’m not going to push any certain diet on you – after all, I myself have just decided to go vegetarian at the start of 2017 and have had a bit of meat once or twice since – but there’s no denying the environmental benefits of at least reducing your meat consumption. First off, it’s an extremely energy-intensive process, whether you’re talking about the food, water, or land necessary. The whole process also releases a ridiculous amount of greenhouse gases. Whether you decide to go full vegan (in which case, kudos to you!), or you decide to just limit your meat eating to once or twice a week, it’s a decision that will certainly foster more conscious living.

So there you have it: 4 easy changes you can make right away to start your journey towards an eco lifestyle.